Week 1 NFL Thoughts

+ There were two questions around Peyton Manning: 1) Is he healthy? and 2) Can he stay healthy? I think we have our answer to the first one. The second one remains to be seen.

+ If I was a Cleveland Browns fan I would probably still be crying in the fetal position after Sunday’s loss. Then again, Browns fans are used to this.

You get 4 picks from Vick. You get a gift 5th pick to end the game that is dropped. You get a 5-point lead in the 4th quarter and your coach kicks an extra point instead of going for two. And you get the Brandon Weeden debut, which might be one of the worst QB debuts ever.

Can you name half of the 16 QBs (other than Brandon Weeden) who have started games for the Browns since their 1999 return to the NFL?

(answer at the end)

+ Speaking of dropped picks in the end zone, Stafford should have had 4 at the half. Instead the Lions kick a field goal to get within 3 and eventually win on a last-minute TD drive. The Rams had twice the penalties, half the first downs, and were 4 of 12 on 3rd down conversions. They had no business winning that game, and by the bristles of Jeff Fisher’s stache they almost did.

+ The Niners got 3 FGs and were a +1 in TOs and they beat the Packers in Green Bay. After seeing that (coupled with the way the rest of their division looked on Sunday) there’s no reason to think San Francisco won’t be the #1 NFC seed come January.

+ The rest of the NFC picture isn’t clear, but I think the four best teams in the AFC hands down are the Patriots, Texans, Ravens, and Broncos. Barring major injuries (which obviously you can’t do in the NFL) that’s your final four on one side of the bracket. Best part is, they will all play each other this year…including a stellar week 3 lineup that includes HOU @ DEN and NE @ BAL.

Power Poll Top Ten

Patriots

Niners

Ravens

Texans

Falcons

Broncos

Packers

Bears

Cowboys

Giants

Honorable Mentions: Redskins, Lions, Jets, and Bucs

(Go ahead, tell me where I got it all wrong)

Best 3 Games on the Week 2 Schedule:

1. Denver @ Atlanta on Monday Night – Peyton is great under the bright lights but Atlanta is equally great at home.

2. Chicago @ Green Bay on Thursday Night – Hard to fathom GB going to 0-2 after two home games, but it’s in play.

3. Baltimore @ Philadelphia – The Eagles have a bad habit of playing to their competition, so this could be a fun one.

I am a Clevelander and I can attest to your comment. I was downtown after the game and saw the fans doing the walk of defeat from the stadium. So sad. But, as you said, we’re used to it – meanwhile we still remain intensely loyal and hopeful.

So, you have the Eagles in last place in the NFC East because RGIII won 1 game? Road wins aren’t easy, and even though Vick played like he was the rookie, they gutted it out. I think you are way wrong to either have the Eagles thought of so poorly, or the ‘skins thought of so highly.

That said, the Eagles are going to get plastered this weekend by the Ravens!